Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-25

FLA.
ABUSING OUR HOSPITALITY. :
How the English Sparrow Has Monop-
olized Matters at Washington.

How the English sparrow Has MohoP"
olized Matters at Washington.
The introduction of English sparrows in
Washington was made by Gen. Babcock,
commissioner of public buildings and
grounds, in 1867 Since that time they have
multiplied with amazing rapidity, due largely
to the fostering care of the district authorl-
ties. For many years after their first intro
duction nesting boxes were placed in the
trees in various public parks. Congress
passed law making it misdemeanor to Kill
one Of the newly naturalized birds under
penalty of $50. In addition, many admiring
and inordinately hospitable citizens provided
them with nesting places in their private
grounds, where they fed and cared for them.
Since their introduction here these birds
have taken possession of all the public build
ings and grounds They are the most clan
nish of ali house birds and delight in the
possession of expansive cornices and broad
window caps for nesting purposes. spar
row seldom builds bis nest in a tree except q
box is put there for his accommodation.
Year after year hundreds of them nest about
the cornices, window caps, Corinthian heads
and handy inches of the Capitol, patent office,
postoffice department and other public build
ings The sparrows are uncleanly in their
habits and never clear away on old nest
before building new one, and as q result
where they congregate in large numbers they
soon accumulate quantities of filth and ver-
min. As rule four broods are Matched in
one nest each season, in all about twenty-five
young birds. In the postoffice department
building they have stuffed the carvings in the
Corinthian columns full of straw. rags, paper,
Irvine and other fbrinous bric-a-brac. 1t
would require thousands of dollars to repair
the damage thus done to the buildings in
tested.
These sparrows are the most aggressive
birds that fly and they obtrude themselves into
all sorts of untkought of places for nesting.
In an equestrian statue Of Gen. Washington
standing on Pennsylvania avenue sparrow
last year built lis nest under the crupper,
where its brood would be protected by the
flowing tail of the bronze horse. In McPher-
son square stands statue Of Gen. McPher-
son, and in one of the stirrups a patriotic
swallow last year built its nest. In the same
statue the park Waterman recently found
nest under the generals arm. In the Smith
sonian park l recently saw an abandoned
street lamp in which sparrow had built its
nest. During the recent national drill
public spirited citizen desired to fire salute
from an old cannon on his grounds in honor
of the visiting companies, but was inter-
rupted by the discovery of birds nest in
the rusty old guns muZzle. doctor IN this
city found the skull Of one of his skeletons
similarly occupied. A park Waterman in
formed me that the birds had invaded the
garrett of the pension building by means of a
broken pane. He said they would build a
nest in a remarkably short time, and in proof
related how, on lowering the awnings over
the windows after they had been left up
day OF two, he had seen the sparrows' nests
fall down from them.-W ashington Cor. New
York World.